Rally urges illegal migrant amnesty

Monday 5 January 2009 00:05 BST

The Catholic Church in England and Wales has urged people not to vent their frustration on migrants during the recession as it gave its support to a rally calling for an earned amnesty for thousands of illegal immigrants in the UK.

The Rt Rev Patrick Lynch, auxiliary bishop of Southwark, said the Catholic Church in England and Wales had a long tradition of "standing in solidarity" with workers, especially migrant workers, and he prayed that migrants would not be made "scapegoats" during the economic downturn.

"My first prayer today is that during a time of recession when there will inevitably be job shortages, we as the church will do all we can not to allow migrant workers from within or outside the European Union to become scapegoats and targets of people's frustration with the economy," he told a Mass for migrant workers held at Westminster Cathedral, in central London.

The Mass was being held along with a series of other church services as part of the Strangers into Citizens day of action calling for an estimated 450,000 long-term illegal immigrants to be allowed to become citizens under a one-off "earned amnesty".

To qualify for the proposed measure, illegal immigrants would have to fulfil conditions including residence of at least four years, followed by a two-year "pathway" period, a clean criminal record, good English and character references.

In his sermon, Bishop Lynch said there was a "clear moral case" that undocumented workers who have lived and worked in this country for five years or more should be given the opportunity to build a future in the United Kingdom and continue to contribute to British society.

"You have worked here - your children have been born here and attend school here - you are part of our parishes and our society here and a way should be found so that you can remain here," he told the congregation of different nationalities, some of them in colourful national dress.

In a separate Anglican service held at St Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey, the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Rev Tom Butler, backed the Strangers into Citizens campaign.

"What is being called for is no idealistic or wild-eyed demand that all barriers should go down. It is simply recognising that those who have been here for four years or more should be given the opportunity to show that they can be productive and useful citizens," he said.

"It is a call to bring hundreds of thousands of irregular migrants out of the shadows and after a two year probation period give them leave to remain."